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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Stepping Onto the Next Level

As 2012 leaves us… or maybe, as we leave 2012 behind and
embrace 2013, God has brought me to a crossroads of sorts. Maybe He has brought
you to one as well. My particular crossroads is, in all actuality... a staircase. There
really isn’t a “take this road or this one” kind of situation for me. The path
I’m on stays basically the same, but there is another level that I have to get
to. And 2013 is time for me to climb. So, I can either stay at the foot of the
staircase and meander here at the bottom throughout 2013, or I can begin my
climb to the next level, where the Lord is trying to get me to come to.

Sounds a little scary, doesn’t it? What exactly does that
mean? What IS “the next level” anyway? I have NO idea! I won’t know until I
climb the stairs. But here’s the situation: it is MY decision on whether I
climb to the next level or not. The fact of the matter is, if I stay where I
am, I will still be where God has led me, but I WON’T ever advance. If I climb
the stairs to the next level, “great and mighty things which [I] do not know”
await me (Jeremiah 33:3). Now, that’s where it gets exciting to me. For once in
my life, I’m not scared. I am truly excited! I don’t know what’s at the top of
the stairs, but I absolutely know that God is standing just behind me with His
hand on my back, steering me towards those stairs.

And here is yet another twist in this journey: the closer
I get to the stairs, the more slippery, bumpy, and gnarly the path is getting.
I have slipped up. I have tripped. I have caught myself on many things I should
not have said, thought, or done. I have felt awful for messing up and wondered
where exactly I “lost” my “oomph!” Because back in May, when God shook me up
and gave me a new path to follow, I was “gung-ho” about where I was going. But
you want to know something? I am human, not perfect. If I didn’t have mistakes,
I wouldn’t learn anything. And because I am still learning…I am still growing…and
the last time I tripped, I bumped right into God! Then I realized that not only
did I know that God wanted to move me
to the next level, but so did the enemy…and he doesn’t like it one little bit!

The thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy.

~John 10:10(a)

So, as I showered getting ready for church on Sunday
morning, I said a quick prayer asking God to forgive me, and to speak through
the pastor and give me a message. Going to church expecting God to show up…don’t
you know that He DOES! My slipping, tripping, and bumping the last few steps to
the staircase took me right to the base of the stairs. The message God gave me
was, “Take the first step. Trust Me.” Well... Okie doke!

In 2013, my life is going to change drastically. I don’t
know exactly what I will be doing, but I am confident that it will be a deeper
step into this ministry He has called me into. Once I got over and through the
intimidation and oppression I suffered for years. Once I got over trying to “read
between the lines” every intimidating person was hinting at around me. Once I
realized that my life was not determined by what others think of me, but by
what God wants of me… I’m now ready to take the steps to the next level.

I am going into a “Sold Out Believer” mode of my walk
with God. I will no longer be tolerant of anything less than that. However,
that does not mean that I won’t like certain people, places, or things. It just
means that, for me, I won’t be subjecting myself to things that do not bring
glory to Him. Nor will I subject myself to people or things that will tempt me
to slip up… to the best of my ability. I won’t be perfect, nor do I expect to
be. But it is the fact that I have set my mind to TRY. And that is all that God
is really after. My desire to at least strive for what He wants me to do. In
that, I believe I will succeed.

As I say good-bye to
2012, I can truly say that God brought me through it and is now leading me to a
new level in 2013. What’s in store? I don’t know. But whatever it is, it will
be exciting! I hope you’ll join me to find out! And my prayer is this:

May God
richly bless you and guide you through the New Year and beyond. May you seek
Him and find Him, and may He totally rock YOUR world!

About Me

Shelley Wilburn lives in Southern Illinois on a small piece of land she and her husband refer to as their Rinky Dink Farm. She is the author of the Walking Healed books, several articles, blog posts and book reviews. She has guest blogged for other blogs, co-authored devotionals, and spoken at various women’s gatherings.
Shelley has a unique healing testimony and finds great pleasure in helping to encourage, educate and inspire others to find hope, health and healing through her Walking Healed ministry.
Shelley is married to her high school sweetheart, D.A. They have three grown, married children, children-in-law, five grandsons and one granddaughter. They love raising chickens, having fun and taking impromptu trips to the mountains and secret getaways.
You can follow Shelley on her blog and social media pages; Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter. You can also get firsthand updates on her books and new releases by signing up for her newsletter and following her on her Amazon Author page.